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From YouTube: Public Health Announcement 10-19-21
Description
Mayor Janey hosts a press conference to share a public health announcement.
A
A
To
address
these
challenges,
our
public
health
teams
have
been
on
the
ground,
providing
life-saving
support
to
the
people
suffering
with
addiction
and
homelessness,
most
of
whom
are
from
cities
and
towns.
From
across
massachusetts
and
beyond
this
year,
the
boston
office
of
recovery
services
has
had
over
21
000
interactions
with
individuals
on
the
street,
making
over
6
000
referrals
to
services
on
an
average.
This
outreach
team
reverses
four
to
five
overdoses
a
day,
despite
the
ongoing
work.
A
The
scale
of
the
opioid
crisis,
coupled
with
the
covet
19
pandemic,
has
driven
an
increase
in
homelessness
and
people
living
in
tents,
making
it
extremely
difficult
to
reach
and
treat
those
in
need
to
be
clear.
Tents
are
not
appropriate
for
housing;
they
lack
clean
water
and
adequate
hygiene
facilities.
A
Even
more
concerning
these
tents
have
become
the
site
of
infectious
diseases,
sexual
assaults,
human
trafficking,
potential
overdoses
and
violence.
We
cannot
let
our
most
vulnerable
residents
continue
to
suffer
and
these
encampments
to
address
this
crisis.
I've
asked
the
boston
public
health
commission
to
utilize
all
tools
at
their
disposal.
A
A
This
order
will
promote
the
health
and
safety
of
our
most
vulnerable
residents
and
the
general
public
with
a
focus
on
public
health.
The
executive
order
will
establish
a
central
coordinating
team
made
up
of
city
and
state
partners
who
will
identify
shelter
and
treatment
options
available
through
the
region,
as
tents
and
temporary
shelters
will
no
longer
be
permitted
in
the
city
of
boston.
A
We
also
understand
that
some
individuals
may
refuse
help
that
they've
been
offered
in
this
instance.
Enforcement
will
be
used,
but
only
as
a
last
resort,
and
even
then
we
are
working
with
the
district
attorney's
office
and
the
courts
to
ensure
that
enforcement
itself
is
a
pathway
to
services,
treatment
and
shelter.
A
These
steps
are
meant
to
mitigate
the
hazardous
conditions
that
encampments
pose
to
vulnerable
individuals
who
need
treatment
and
shelter.
This
work
alone,
however,
is
not
sufficient.
That
is
why
we
will
continue
to
work
with
the
state
partners
throughout
the
region
to
expand
housing
and
treatment
options.
A
B
Dedicated
city
workers
and
community
partners
have
worked
tirelessly
every
single
day
to
conduct
outreach
to
those
struggling
on
our
streets.
They
work
to
connect
them
to
care
and
resources
and
provide
life-saving
work
to
those
who
need
it
the
most,
but
it
is
clear
that
more
urgent
action
is
needed
to
make
the
progress
we
all
seek.
The
mayor's
executive
order
is
based
in
public
health.
It
prioritizes
the
needs
of
those
on
the
street
and
those
suffering
from
substance
use
disorder,
many
of
whom
are
at
the
worst
moments
of
their
life.
B
It
is
also
calling
out
that,
while
all
of
these
efforts
have
produced
some
success
stories
of
people
who've
been
able
to
find
path
to
recovery,
the
pandemic
has
led
there
to
be
a
greater
volume
of
people
and
complexity
of
need.
That
now
requires
a
more
robust
response.
This
situation
has
gotten
worse
and
all
of
our
shared
efforts
are
needed
to
make
the
improvements.
We
seek.
B
This
order
places
emphasis
on
increased
access
to
housing,
supports
in
the
city
and
regionally
to
achieve
this
goal.
It
calls
for
intentional
work
to
identify
more
resources,
especially
low
threshold
housing
that
will
help
individually
stabilize
and
get
ready
for
a
pathway
to
housing.
It
calls
for
greater
access
to
treatment,
supports
and
beds
that
can
truly
give
people
a
better
path
off
the
street
and
into
housing
and
recovery.
It
calls
on
improving
the
quality
of
life
of
those
suffering
each
and
every
day,
and
creating
real
options
for
folks.
B
That
does
not
mean
living
on
a
tent,
but
instead
means
having
a
safe,
supportive
place
to
stay.
There
must
be
better
options
and
the
executive
order
calls
on
us
to
create
them.
It
calls
on
greater
enforcement
to
protect
those
who
are
being
harmed
and
victimized
by
addressing
the
increase
in
crime
and
violence
in
the
neighborhood.
And
finally,
the
order
highlights
the
need
to
strengthen
coordination
and
partnership
both
across
our
city
departments,
but
also
with
our
state
partners.
A
So
there's
an
urgency
here,
given
what
is
happening
and
people
in
terms
of
our
city
workers,
whether
through
the
public
health
teams
or
our
street
outreach
through
the
boston
police
department,
have
been
doing
ongoing
outreach
every
single
day.
You
know
it
is
our
goal
to
make
sure
that
we
are
implementing
this
as
soon
as
possible.
A
So
we
will
not
notice
any
individuals
without
having
proper
beds.
We
know
that
here
in
the
city
of
boston,
there
are
a
number
of
beds
available
that
go
unused.
We
certainly
need
more
beds
in
the
region,
and
so
we
will
continue
to
work
with
our
state
partners
to
identify
those
beds.
That
is
why
the
central
coordinating
team
is
so
important
to
make
sure
that
we
are
leading
with
a
public
health
focus
and
an
opportunity
for
individuals
who
are
currently
living
in
tents
to
have
shelter.
A
A
A
A
A
What
has
happened
during
that
time
is
that
once
the
street
was
clean,
we
see
that
tents
have
come
back
again.
This
continues
to
pose
a
threat
to
all
of
the
individuals
who
are
most
vulnerable,
who
are
living
on
our
streets
who
become
victims
to
sexual
assault,
human
trafficking,
all
kinds
of
of
problems
in
this
area,
and
so
it
is
not
safe
for
any
individual
to
be
living
in
these
conditions,
and
we
want
to
make
sure
that
we're
doing
everything
that
we
can
to
provide
alternatives.
A
A
They
are
growing
in
number
and
the
more
that
the
encampments
grow,
the
more
difficult
it
is
for
our
teams
to
provide
the
services
to
provide
the
treatments
and
the
opportunities
for
alternatives,
and
so
it
is
an
urgency
that
is
required.
This
is
why
we
have
the
public
health
declaration
and
we
are
accompanying
that
with
the
executive
order.
A
B
Yeah,
so
the
question
is
how
many
open
beds
are
there
and
and
what
we
want
to
make
sure
is
that
beds
and
resources
match
needs
right.
So
we
have
open
beds
in
our
shelter.
Our
capacity
in
our
shelters
is
not
at
max,
so
we
have
open
beds
in
our
shelter
we're
working
with
the
state
to
create
low
threshold
beds
as
those
become
available,
as
well
as
treatment
beds,
so
the
number
of
beds.
B
Obviously
someone
takes
one
one
night,
and
so
then
that
bed
is
not
available
but
to
the
mayor's
point,
the
coordinated
response
team,
that's
meeting
we
started
meeting
today,
we
will
meet
again
thursday
to
actually
do
that
exact
sort
of
exercise.
What
numbers
do
we
have?
What
gaps
do
we
have
and
what
are
we
doing
collectively
to
fill
those
gaps
while
we're
working
every
day
to
put
more
beds
online,
so
the
numbers
do
flex
based
on
the
need
and
based
on
people's
use.
B
Yeah,
so
the
question
is
why
it's
important
to
remove
people
from
the
tents
who
are
trying
to
get
treatment
and
support.
You
know
really.
The
goal
of
trying
to
get
people
into
treatment
or
support
is
really
to
help
people
stabilize
their
lives
and
in
order
to
help
people
stabilize
their
lives.
As
the
mayor
said,
you
can't
do
that
in
a
tent.
You
can't
do
it
in
a
tent
on
the
street
when
you're
being
preyed
on
by
others,
and
so
the
real
goal
is
to
get
people
out
of
that
environment.
B
That's
not
safe
for
them
and
safe
for
others
to
be
able
to
get
them
on
a
better
pathway
right.
That's
why
this
is
all
tied
to
resources
and
services
to
make
sure
that
there
are
better
options
than
being
on
a
tent
in
the
street
as
it
gets
cold
and
as
it
continues
to
be
unsafe.
That's
why
we're
prioritizing
this,
and
it
really
is
the
best
public
health
approach
to
help
those
folks.